In his first screen drama, best-selling British novelist Patrick Gale tells two gay love stories, 60 years apart – stories linked by family, and by a painting that holds a secret that echoes down the generations.
Featuring a cast including Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, Man in an Orange Shirt charts the challenges and huge changes to gay lives from the Second World War to the present: In 1944, British Army Captain Michael Berryman (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) meets war artist Thomas March (James McArdle) in Southern Italy while chaos reigns all around them. Despite having a young fiancé, Flora (Joanna Vanderham), waiting at home for him, straight-laced Michael finds himself falling for Thomas’ bohemian charms. In 2017, an ageing Flora (Redgrave) looks on as her grandson, Adam (Julian Morris), tentatively forms a relationship with his client Steve (David Gyasi) in a more accepting world. But while the external obstacles have fallen away, a minefield of internalised issues and dangerous temptations still line the road to happiness.
Further cast includes Laura Carmichael, Julian Sands and Angel Coulby.
Patrick Gale says,
“As a lifelong BBC Two animal, I’m thrilled my first original television drama will broadcast there. The wide social ramifications of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality are still being felt today and had huge implications not only for gay men (those over 21 at least) but for marriage. The two parts of my drama try to show how far reaching those ramifications were and I know the rest of the Gay Britannia season will as well. I can’t wait to watch every bit of it.”
Diederick Santer, Executive Producer for Kudos, says: “It’s been a delight to work with Patrick and the BBC on this timely and highly original drama. I’m thrilled with the cast we assembled and the ambition of the production, and look forward to it playing at the heart of the Gay Britannia season.”
Daniel Mays (Line Of Duty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Public Enemies) stars in BBC Two’s powerful factual drama as Peter Wildeblood, a thoughtful and private gay journalist whose lover Eddie McNally (played by newcomer to television, Richard Gadd), under pressure from the authorities, turned Queen’s evidence against him in one of the most explosive court cases of the 1950s – the infamous Montagu Trial.
More than ten years before the partial decriminalisation of homosexual acts in 1967, Peter Wildeblood, and his friends Lord Montagu (Mark Edel-Hunt) and Michael Pitt-Rivers, were found guilty of homosexual offences and jailed.
With his career in tatters and his private life painfully exposed, Wildeblood began his sentence a broken man, but he emerged from Wormwood Scrubs a year later determined to do all he could to change the way these draconian laws against homosexuality impacted on the lives of men like him.
The drama also features Mark Gatiss (Taboo, Sherlock) as Wildeblood’s prison psychiatrist, Doctor Landers and Charlie Creed-Miles (Ripper Street, Peaky Blinders) as Superintendent Jones.
Woven through this powerful drama is real-life testimony from a chorus of men who lived through those dark days, when homosexuals were routinely imprisoned or forced to undergo chemical aversion therapy in an attempt to cure them of their “condition”. There is also testimony from a retired police officer whose job it was to enforce these laws, and a former psychiatric nurse who administered the so-called cures. All of these accounts serve to amplify the themes of the drama and help to immerse us in the reality of a dark chapter in our recent past, a past still within the reach of living memory.
We have a lot of data about the size of men’s penises, thanks mainly to Grindr (that is research isn’t it?) however penis size from 60 years ago is near impossible to obtain, so finding out whether our penises are getting smaller as we age, is difficult to compare to previous generations of men.
However, it is suggested that perhaps because we are living longer up to 30 years longer, (one in three of us now lives past the age of 100), and are weighing a lot more than we used to, so we are carrying around the excesses of our lives for 30 years more. Meaning that as we get older, unless we retain good health and a flat tummy, our dicks could be shrouded in fat…
“A big belly makes your penis look smaller, and if you can’t see it at all when you look down you need to get a grip quickly. You’re at high risk of type two diabetes and arterial disease, which can also affect the frequency and firmness of your erections.
“The bottom line is that a good erection is a sign of good physical and mental health, but for most women, your smile and smell are far more important than actual size.”
In a flash poll taken by THEGAYUK, readers were split on whether a politician’s views on gay sex were an important consideration to them.
CREDIT: Ocus-Focus-bigstock
When asked if a politician’s views of what LGBT people do or don’t do in bed was a sin, an equal number of those surveyed answered yes and no. A flash poll undertaken by THEGAYUK showed that 47 percent of people thought that a politician’s views on the subject was an important factor to consider, whilst 47 percent did not. Six percent were unsure.
The poll comes after the leader of Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron was asked about his views on homosexuality. The committed Christian has been asked over and over on whether he considers homosexuality sinful.
“I tell you what, I am very proud to have gone through that lobby behind him there in the Coalition Government where the Liberal Democrats introduced gay marriage, equal marriage and, indeed, did not go as far as it should have done in terms of recognising transgender rights.
Replying to our poll, would be members of the electorate were keen to point out that “straight answers” to a simple question would be “refreshing” and that religious views would only be a problem if politicians wanted to “enforce that belief through politics”.
Guardian writer, Owen Jones however Tweeted,
“Tim Farron refusing to say whether gay sex is a sin is horribly damaging to young LGBT people struggling with their sexuality.
“So many LGBT people fear rejection by society. Hearing a national politician refuse to say whether gay sex is sinful causes hurt.”
G-A-Y owner Jeremy Joseph wants to set a new world record. He wants to set a new record for the number of comments on a Facebook post. He’s urging people not to share, not to like, but comment to support equality everywhere.
The club owner is famous for his marathon running and has raised over £400,000 for his chosen charity, Elton John AIDS Foundation.
In his campaign, Jeremy outlined the many inequalities levelled at the LGBT community, including the number of countries in which it is illegal to be gay, the countries in which being gay attracts the death penalty. He also outlines the access to HIV testing available to the LGBT community in the UK.
Globally 9 out of 10 gay and bisexual men do not have access to comprehensive and stigma-free HIV and STI prevention services.
Speaking about why he chose EJAF he told THEGAYUK,
“The reason why the Elton John AIDS Foundation is important, is because I decided several years ago that I wanted G-A-Y to focus on one charity.
“I chose the Elton John AIDS Foundation because they distribute money, rather than finance one thing.
“It means by raising money through Elton John Aids Foundation, you’re raising money for lots and lots of charities.
Ever heard of Gisela Allen? Probably not. This morning, however, she became a viral internet sensation after a weird diatribe of what she wants and doesn’t want for her country, appeared in her local paper.
Gisela Allen is a UKIP candidate for a council seat in Garscadden/Scotstounhill, Scotland. After being asked by a reporter, “Why do you want to be a councillor?” for the Clydebank Post Allen laid out her wishes.
So what’s the take out from her wish list? She wants:
The death penalty, specifically the guillotine, (not hanging),
Mums to stay at home to look after their children,
The reopening of public toilets,
To close golf courses (they’re an environmental threat),
Children on horses,
No plastic bags, they’re threats to dolphins and animals…
The world was alerted to a horrifying assault on gay men in Chechnya in April 2017. This is how the story unfolded.
The story of the abduction, torture and killing of gay men in Chechnya, was reported thanks to the fearless investigations by Russian News outlet Novaya Gazeta. A journalist by the name of Elena Milashina broke the story that 100 men, suspected of being gay had been “rounded up”. The initial article, which was called, “Honor Killings”, suggested that some had been tortured and at least three had been killed.
The genesis
9th March
According to Milashina, the systematic roundup of gay men (or those suspected of being gay) began after an LGBT rights group in Russia, GayRussia, sought permission to run LGBT prides across the country. Permission was denied on the basis that the parades would go against Russia’s anti-LGBT law, which bans the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” to anyone under the age of 18.
The justification for seeking official approval for Pride has been reported as a strategy to collate evidence for a case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights.
The roundup
1st April
On and before April the 1st, men were rounded up, it was coined a ‘prophylactic sweep’ in Chechnya. At first, the region’s officials denied that any such roundup and detention was “lies and misinformation”. A spokesman for the leader of Chechnya, said to the Interfax news agency,
“You cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist in the republic,
“If there were such people in Chechnya, the law-enforcement organs wouldn’t need to have anything to do with them because their relatives would send them somewhere from which there is no returning.”
It was even suggested that the story was an April Fool’s joke.
It was reported that officials rounding up suspected gay men were using their victim’s mobile phones to trace and catch other men. Their phones were reportedly monitored for contact information. One man spoke about how a gay friend called him suggesting a meeting. The call was calm and didn’t arouse any suspicion. When he arrived it became clear that the call had been a setup. Six people were in waiting.
Mass Meeting
3rd April
A mass, televised meeting in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, showed over 15,000 people gather to protest the article in Novaya Gazeta. In a speech to the crowd, an advisor to Kadyrov called the newspaper “enemies of our faith and of our motherland.” The crowd, according to Human Right’s Watch, “adopted a resolution threatened retribution against the journalist”.
Concentration Camps
10th April
As news grew of the mass detention of these, news-outlets across the UK started to label the detention centres as “concentration camps”. Horrific details of abuse began to surface. Information about the abuse was coming in through second-hand and third sources because of the extreme taboo nature of being homosexual in Chechnya.
Ekaterina Sokirianskaia, Russia project director for the International Crisis Group, told the Guardian, “I have heard about it happening in Grozny [the Chechen capital], outside Grozny, and among people of very different ages and professions.”
Details have emerged of the conditions that those detained have faced. Reports of beatings, electrocution and placing the men into humiliating positions have all been revealed.
Protests
11th April
In the UK, the news was finally becoming mainstream. On the 11th April, it was announced that a protest would take place near to the Russian Embassy in London. The protest was backed by Pride In London. Around the UK, several other protests have taken place to show solidarity.
Muslim Charity Imaan LGBTQ reacts
11th April
Imaan LGBTQ strongly condemned the actions of officials in Chechnya on the 11th April. Taking to Twitter the group said that they, “condemn the reported actions of the Chechen authorities against its LGBT population”.
The group then called upon fellow Muslims everywhere to do the same.
“The detention and ill-treatment of over 100 gay men in Chechnya is extremely concerning. Reports have also suggested that at least three of these men have been killed. The statement by the regional Government, implying that such treatment towards LGBT people is acceptable, is particularly abhorrent. We condemn any and all persecution, and call on the authorities to promptly investigate and ensure that perpetrators of human rights abuses are brought to justice.
“The human rights situation for LGBT people in Russia has deteriorated significantly in recent years and we continue to voice our serious concern with Russian authorities at all levels. Russia’s international human rights obligations require them to protect citizens who may be at risk of persecution.
“We expect the Russian government to fulfill its obligations to this end, and to uphold the rule of law.’
Electrocution
13th April
News of the devastating abuse that some had experienced inside the camp started to be published. According to the Guardian, and one man they managed to interview about his treatment, it emerged that they were being beaten with wooden sticks, metal poles. The verbal abuse for being gay was endless. Some had metal clamps attached to their bodies and were given electric shocks.
Journalists fear for their lives
14th April
During an interview on the Victoria Derbyshire show on the BBC, it was revealed that the journalist who broke the story was in hiding and the management team of Novaya Gazeta feared for the safety of their staff.
Elena Milashina said that a ‘jihad’ had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.
Milashina said,
“They reacted [to the story] in a terrifying manner… on April 3, in the biggest mosque in Grozny, 15,000 religious and various types of people came together and announced a Jihad on us… not just me personally, but all journalists at Novaya Gazeta.
“They said the people at the newspaper who raised this question have damaged the honour of Chechen nation and should be prosecuted.”
There is a precedent for their fears. In 2006 a journalist for Novaya Gazeta, Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in her home. Another, Natlaya Estemirova was murdered in 2009.
The policeman who was shot and killed in what is being called a suspected terror attack in the French capital was a “proud gay man” committed to the LGBT cause.
Xavier Jugelé was killed when he was shot in the head in a suspected terror attack in Paris, last night. It has been revealed that he leaves behind his partner, who he was civilly wed to. He was a member of Flag!, a group that represents LGBT police officers.
Mr Jugelé was described by the New York Times as a “proud gay man”. He had been a serving officer since 2010.
The 37-year-old officer was shot by a gunman who was later killed by French security forces as he tried to flee the scene.
Mr Jugelé was sitting in a police vehicle near the world-famous Champs-Élysées when the gunman opened fire.
The shooter, 39-year-old Karim Cheurfi, was apparently known to security services had been a list of suspected terrorists. He lived in the city’s suburbs. ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Jugelé had been one of the first responders during the 2015 Paris terror attacks in which 130 people were killed.
The President of Chechnya has vowed to eliminate the LGBT community, by the end of May.
Following the horrific details of gay men being detained, tortured and even killed, in the region, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has said that he wants to eliminate gay men by the start of Ramadan. Up to a hundred men, suspected of being gay are being held, against their wills in what some media outlets have called “concentration camps”.
Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic faith and begins on the 26th May. Chechnya is a Muslim-majority country.
Speaking in Parliament, Sir Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said,
“Human rights groups report that these anti-gay campaigns and killings are orchestrated by the head of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.
“He has carried out other violent campaigns in the past, and this time he is directing his efforts at the LGBT community.
“Sources have said that he wants the community eliminated by the start of Ramadan.”
The minister added, “Such comments, attitudes and actions are absolutely beyond contemptible.”
Ramzan Kadyrov allegedly made the threats on Russian media.
Sir Alan, continued,
“Credible reports suggesting that at least four people have been killed and many have been tortured are particularly shocking,
‘”Statements by the regional government in Chechnya which appear to condone and incite violence against LGBT people are utterly despicable.”
FEARING FOR LIFE
Last week, the journalist who broke the news about Chechyna’s purge on gay men revealed she was in hiding after the news reverberates across the globe. Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina said that a “jihad” had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.
He’s the actor who plays the openly gay character Johnny Carter in EastEnders, but what do we know about Ted Reilly?
CREDIT: (C) BBC – Photographer: Kieron McCarron
Is Ted Reilly gay?
No, as far as we know Ted Reilly doesn’t identify as gay and is straight. He’s managed to keep his private life private except when he was spotted getting up close and personal with an unnamed woman at the National Television Awards in January! They were so into each other they were, eventually, allegedly told to move on because they were blocking an exit!
He’s not the first Johnny Carter
Ted is actually the second actor to play Johnny Carter after the original actor Sam Strike decided to quit the soap in 2014. Johnny Carter is not the first EastEnders’ character to be played by more than one person. In the past characters Lucy Beale, Martin Fowler and Sam Mitchell have all had actor changes. When he joined the cast he said,
“I’m truly delighted to be joining such an iconic show. The Carters are a fantastic family and I can’t wait to get started!”
How old is Ted Reilly?
Ted was born on September 14, 1994, which makes him 22 in 2017. His birthday makes him a Virgo.
What was Ted Reilly doing before EastEnders?
Before EastEnders Ted starred in Casualty, Law and Order and a number of other TV shows. He was in Call The Midwife months before landing the role as Johnny Carter.
Is he political?
Ted looks like he’s got a strong social conscious. He has tweeted and retweeted about a variety of issues including the minimum wage, Brexit, child safety on the internet and tax. Although he’s not overtly political he does retweet some interesting commentators and from some left-leaning news outlets.
He’s an avid fan of EastEnders
When Ted first took the role he revealed that he had been watching the show for the whole of his life. On his first day on set, he said,
“My first day on set was very surreal and very strange being here, having growing up watching the show all my life,” he said in a Twitter video.
“But probably one of the best moments of my life.”
He added: “I was speechless, I didn’t know what to say. It was so many emotions all at once.”
He has a brother and sister…
They both feature quite regularly on his social feed.
It seems that there’s a silver trend sweeping through celeb land. Men are going silver and it’s totally, utterly hot.
Whether it’s from a bottle, like Adam Lambert’s or natural like John Barrowman’s celebs are turning grey – well Silver to be more accurate and it’s hot.
Adam Lambert
Looks incredible with his hair like this. Adam is known for changing up his hair colour quite often.
